By Saheed Ibrahim

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As schools in Ondo State resume for the 2024-2025 academic session, parents and guardians are groaning over high prices of stationery and other educational materials, investigations have shown.

This is even as they lamented extortions by some principals in both public and private schools.

Extensive investigations by our reporter in some secondary schools in Akure confirmed that some  schools have added to the economic woes of parents, in gross violation of the state government directives.

The state government had warned that no schools should sell books and uniforms to students and parents, but investigation revealed the opposite.

The findings revealed that some schools mandated parents to buy books and uniforms from designated places, especially for new intakes (JSS1 and SSS1) students, and items from other sources are not acknowledged.

The schools also charge varied fees as PTA, miscellaneous and other payable fees, which are not in compliance with the government published approved collectibles.

The parents have appealed to the state government to clip the wings of some secondary schools indulging in extortion which have now become a recurrent practice whenever a new session begins.

A market survey in Akure, the Ondo State capital, also revealed a massive increase in the prices of school materials, leaving sellers and parents wailing.

We found that there had been between 30-70 percent increase in prices of the commodities.

For instance, a pack of 60 leaves notebooks sold for N2,500 last year now sells at N3,500, up from N2,000, while a dozen of Higher Education notebooks increased from N5000 to N8,500.

We also found that the prices of textbooks, especially English and Mathematics, have moved from N3,000 to N4600-N5,500, depending on the type and author.

A pair of rubber sandals that was sold for N1,500 last session now cost an average of N2500.

Prices of school bags, water bottles, food flasks, baskets, socks, mathematical sets and pens among others have also increased.

In an interview with The Hope, Elder Idowu Olumuyiwa, the Director of a bookshop at Oja-Oba, Akure, lamented that the high cost of books has been the greatest challenge to patronage.

“The current high cost of books affects parents tremendously, with some buying only one or two books due to insufficient funds, affecting book sales and stocking.”

Olumuyiwa noted that book prices have risen by 50 percent, with some books increasing by over 60 percent. “The English language textbook sold at N3,000 is now N4,600. Some books priced at N5,500 last year now cost N8,500.”

He attributed the hike to increasing cost of paper and other production materials.

Another bookseller, Mr. Olusegun Adekanbi, confirmed the price increase, putting the increment rate at 50-100 percent.

 “Despite high prices, some parents still buy. The General Mathematics textbook we sold for N2,900 last year now costs N4,500,” he said.

Adekanbi urged the government to invest in education, warning that unaffordable books could lead to increased illiteracy.

Similarly, Mrs Tolu Adesola, a bookseller, lamented the low patronage of books and other school materials by parents and guardians due to the increased cost of living.

“You can see that there is low patronage now, despite the resumption of schools. Most parents only buy English and Mathematics books for their children because they cannot afford all the books their children would need,” she said.

In addition, transportation fare has also increased by an average of 50 percent due to the newly increased fuel pump price.

Some of the parents who spoke with The Hope, including Mrs Folasade Adeogun, Mr. Jimoh Olusegun, Mrs. Funke Ayodele and Mrs Alo Adenike, expressed frustration over the high cost of educational materials in the face of economic hardship and scarcity of funds, saying the development has completely drained their pockets with nowhere to run to.

Adeogun said, “I have three children in secondary schools now and I don’t know how I am going to survive all these. We have spent all we have on school materials but we are yet to get all our children’s needs for the new session.”

A single parent, Mrs Ayodele explained: “For many reasons, I don’t want the children to resume now. I am the only one responsible for the upkeeps of the family as they have no father anymore . Nobody is helping and I have two children in school and they need to get new writing materials, lunch boxes and school bags, and I have been facing some financial crisis, like payments of school fees and rent.

Speaking with The Hope, the Ondo State Chairman of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA), Alhaji Abimbola Omoloja, stressed that the current inflation in Nigeria has affected every sector of the economy, not only education, due to fuel hike.

Omoloja added that students in the state will resume under normal circumstances, however, he lamented that the current hike in the price of commodities, including transportation, will affect students, parents, and schools greatly.

“We will have a lot of problems as far as I am concerned.

“I appeal to the government to make the free shuttle buses available for transporting our students,” he said.

Meanwhile, school principals and other proprietors have expressed their readiness to receive students back after over six weeks holidays.

In separate interviews, the school managers said they are in high spirit to welcome back their school children after the long vacation.

The Hope visited some schools within the state capital and found out that arrangements have been concluded to ensure a smooth academic session in a conducive learning environment, even as school managers expressed their readiness and desire to see students return to school after the break.

The Principal of St. Michael’s Catholic High School, Akure, Mr. Adeniyi Oluyide, explained that they are fully prepared, and that all admission process for the newly admitted students would be completed tomorrow Tuesday following the Monday public holiday earlier declared by the Federal Government.

According to him, all necessary materials have been prepared for effective teaching and learning.

Also, Mrs. Ariyo Oluwatoyin, revealed some of the measures she has taken to help parents cope with the economic situation.

“To ensure a smooth resumption, schools are conducting a thorough assessment of their resources to identify areas where costs can be cut without compromising the quality of education. We are also negotiating better deals with suppliers of textbooks, notebooks, and other reading materials. This will enable students to purchase these materials at a cheaper price directly from the school, rather than buying them at a higher price outside,” she added.

A public school teacher, Mrs. Helen Omolegan, urged parents to strive to provide basic educational needs for their wards to facilitate teaching and learning.